Blotter.



PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

A. N. SILL.

BLOTTEB.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

INYENTUR W! TNESSES Patented March 28, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED N. SILL, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

BLOTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,836, dated March28, 1905,

Application filed July 22,1904. Serial No. 217,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED'N. SILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Blotters, of whichthe following is a specification.

In blotting operationsheretofore therehave been employed flatblotting-pads supported by holders having fiat pressure-surfacesintended to apply direct vertical pressure simultaneously over the totalsurface to be blotted and also rolling pads supported by holders havingcurved bearing-surfaces designed to effect a traveling movement of thepad, so that parallel portions thereof are brought in succession incontact with the surface to be blotted. The flat pad-holders have provenunsatisfactory, because the contemplated uniform vertical pressurecannot be applied in'practice, the action is not uniform, there is alateral tendency that causes smearing, and the devices are unpleasant inmanipulation by reason of their rigidity. The rolling action of curvedsegmental and cylindrical blotters has given good results; but they areeither of expensive construction or rigid in character and requiring acomplex movement of the hand. To overcome these objections, I havedevised the present improvements, comprising a flexible pad-holder orback which produces a progressive or laterally-moving vertical pressurefrom the ends to the middle of the pad as a consequence of a simpledownward pressure thereon. The holder employs an arched plate offlexible material having its outer ends bent to radii extendingoppositely to that of the arch or central curve, forming a compoundcurve having its ends curved reversely from its median portion. Thematerial extending outwardly beyond the ends of the reversed curves isbentback toward the center and down upon the top of the plate to. formbearing-supports for the ends of the pads to be held thereon, and thematerial extending toward the center beyond the length desired for thebearingsupports is bent upwardly and then downwardly in approximatelythe form of an inverted V to form ahinge connection for holding hingingmembers of clasps which rock therein to engage and disengage the ends ofthe pad.

In order that the flexibility and uniformity of action of the holder maynot be materially interfered with, as in the case of rigidly fixingthereto a supporting-plate for the handle, a connection for the handleis brazed or otherwise fixed to the center of the holder or crown of itsarch, with which the handle connects through a cap or concavo-convexwasher having a comparatively broad movable bearing upon the crown ofthe arch.

The blotter thus produced is light, simple, inexpensive, easily operatedby a simple movement, highly satisfactory in operation, and securelyholds and readily engages and disen gages the pad.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of ablotter embodying the improvements. Fig. 2 represents a side elevationthereof. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of thesame in operative position, and Fig. 4 represents a verticallongitudinal sectional view illustrating a modified connection for thehandle.

As shown in the drawings, the back or holder is composed of sheet metaland comprises a central arch 1, terminating in reverse curves 2. At theouter ends of the reverse curves the metal is bent back upon the body ofthe holder to form the bearing-surfaces 3, and at the inner ends of thebearing-surfaces the metal is bent upwardly and then downwardly to formthe approximately inverted V, forming bearings or hinge connections 4 ofsubstantially triangular section.

The sheet-metal clasps,having the body portions 5, have their rear endsbent to form an approximately V-shaped hinging member 6, which engagesthe hinging member 4, and their forward ends bent to form the jaws 7 forengaging the ends of the pad 8, which are supported upon the bearings.It will be seen that the bearings 4 hold the clasps in both the openedand closed positions, in both of which positions the members 6 have beenturned past a dead-center of the bearings a, the device providing asimple and highly-efficient clasp.

At the center of the holder, being the crown of the arch, I braze a nut9 and place thereon a circular cap 10, which has a movable bearing onthe holder, and the handle 11 is held on the cap by ascrew 12, passingtherethrough into the nut, as shown in Fig. 3, or the head of the screw13 may be brazed to the crown of the holder, having the cap sleevedthereon and the handle 14 provided with the screw-threaded socket 15directly engaging with the screw, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the normal position of the mechanism, as shown in Fig. 2, on applyingdirect downward pressure to the handle 11 the arched back 1 first exertsa downward pressure upon the reversely-curved ends 2, and as the arch isbuckled or pressed down to the position shown in Fig. 8 the pressure onthe ends is relieved and travels inwardly toward the center, the padbeing drawn taut and subjected to a direct vertical pressure over itsentire blotting-surface by a flexible action conforming to surfaces thatare not perfectly regular.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a blotter, a holdercomprising an arched plate having bearings at the ends thereof, claspsconnected with and adapted for engaging the ends of a pad to saidbearings, and a pad drawn across said arch and secured to said bearingsby said clasps, substantially as specified.

2. In a blotter, a holder comprising a plate having an arch terminatingin reverse curves, in combination with a pad drawn across said arch andover said reverse curves, and clasps for holding said pad, substantiallyas specified.

3. In a blotter, a holder comprising an arched plate having its endsbent back to form bearings for a pad, in combination with clasps forengaging and holding said pad to said bearings, substantially asspecified.

4. In a blotter, a holder comprising an arched plate terminating inreversed curves having their ends bent back to form pad-bearings', incombination with clasps for holding said pad to said bearings,substantially as specified.

5. In a blotter, a holder comprising an arched plate having its endsbent back to form bearings for a pad and folded to form substantiallytriangular hinge-bearings, in combination with clasps having hingemembers controlled by said hinge-bearings and jaws for engaging saidpad, substantially as specilied.

6. In a blotter, a holder comprising an arched plate, a screw connectionfixed to said plate, a cap bearing on said plate, a handle, and a screwconnection passing through said cap and engaging said handle to saidfirst screw connection, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 21st day of July,1904, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

I ALFRED N. SILL.

I/Vitnesses:

\VRIGIIT KUe-LER, UTLEY E. CRANE, Jr.

